Vending-machine.



PATENTED MAY 21, 1907.

C. C. INMAN.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 31V, 1906.

3 SHBETS--SHEET 1 witness@ C. C. INMAN.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY31, 1906.

PATENTED MAY 2l, 1907.

:e Ulm' l" IWW. mi

TOMO tol? No. 853,977. PATENTED MAY 21, 1907.

C. C. INMAN. f VENDING MACHINE.

APPLIGATON FILED MAY 31, 1906y :s SHEETS-SHEET 3.

- action of its spring 24 by means of a lingerv UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLIE C. INMAN, OF ROACHDALE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN H. GRANTHAM, JR., OF ROACHDALE, INDIANA.

VENDING-MAQHINE.'

l V Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1907.

Application filed May 31.1906. Serial 110.3195450.

T LZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLIE C. INMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Roachdale, in the county of Putnam and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vending-Machines, of which the following isa specification. A

The object of my invention is to produce an apparatus by means of which articles, such as cigars, may be automatically vended, the operability beingdependent uponcoin controlled mechanism. f

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention:

Figure 1 is a perspective view ot' an apparatus embodying my invention; Fig?. 2, a sectional rear elevation; Fig. 3, a vertical section of thevselecting mechanism. on an enlarged scale; Fig. 4, ai horizontal section on line 4-4 oiuFi 3; Fig. 5, a section on .line 5-5 of Fig. 3; 6, a longitudinal sectional detail of the removing mechanism; Fig. 7, a horizontal section of aportion thereof; Fig. 8, an end elevation of the gripping jaws; Fig. 9, a sectionl on line 9-9 of Fig. 4; Fig. 10, a perspective detail of a portion of the Wheel locking mechanism.

In the drawings 10 indicates a wheel suitably journaled in an inclosing casing 11. adapted to be driven by a small electric motor 12. Wheel 10 carries an annular plate 13 supporting a cylindrical body 14 having a plurality of pairs of varms 15 between each air of which is -pivotally mounted a cradle 16 adapted to receive boxes 17 of merchandise such as ycigars 18, said boxes being conveniently held in their cradles by means of clips 19 held against the boxes by a spring 20.y

The plate 13 1s provided with a plurality of holes 2,1, one for each cradle 167 and these holes are arranged at varying distances from the center of the wheel 10 to register with one or the other of a series` of spring plungers 22 are reciprocably'mounted in a frame 23 and each is normally held retracted against the 25 (one for each plunger), through which the ensmalled ends 22 of the plungers 22 are passed, a nut 22 being placed upon the outer end of each ensmalled portion and said ensmalled portions being of a length considerably greater than the thickness of the fingers 25 so that there maybe a relative movement equal to the ull stroke ofthe fingers 25.

Each finger 25 carries a push-pin 26 which projects from the casing 1 1 and is provided at its outer end with a suitable iinger head 26. The several fingers 25 engage a bar 3Qwhich, at one end, engages with a cam shaped portion 31 of a latch 31 yieldingly urged in one direction by a spring 32. The bar carries a plunger 33 which registers with an opening 34 formed in a frame 34 reciprocally mounted on the frame 23 and said plunger normally urged in one direction by'a spring 35. Leading to the space immediately in front ofthe perforation 34', and between thatportion of the frame 34 containing said perforation and the inner end of plunger 33, is a coin chute 40 the outer end of which opens to the exterior of casing 1 1 the arrangement being such th at,

until coin 41 is introduced between the inner end of plunger 33 and the adjacent portion of'.

frame 34 the plunger may be reciprocated freely without shifting said frame.

The frame 34 carries a projection 341i;

adapted to be engaged by the latch 31 when the frame has been projected by plunger 33 with a coin properly placed, and when in this position a portion 342, carried by Jframe 34, makes electrical contact with a terminal 343 thus closing the circuit C of the motor 12 and holdin it closed so long as latch 31 lies behind t e projection 341. The plate 13 is provided with a series of holes 50 one for each of the cradles 16 which holes are adapted to receive the two plungers 51 and 52 preferably formed by two half-round members placed together and slidably mounted in brackets 53 carried by the frame 23. Plunger 51 may bereciprocated by means of a lever 54,. and plunger 52 may be reciprocated by a lever 55. Thelever 54 is connected by link 56 with bar 30, while lever 55 is extended so as to lie in the path of movement of a portion 344 of frame /34 Each lunger 51 vand 52 is yieldingly urged toward ocking polindicated as belonging to the `the motor circuit so that it will tached at its outer end to a handle 65 by means of which it may be pulled so as to bring 'the jaw 61 toward the jaw 60. The tube 62 is mounted in a head 66 which is pivoted on a horizontal axis 67 in the casing 11, the .tube 62 being longitudinally reciprocal through the head 66. The opening 68 1n the said head 66 through which the tube'62 passes is widened at its inner end as shown in Fig. 7 to permit a swin ing of the tube 62 in an'axial plane. Hea 66 carriesan arm 69 to the inner end of which is pivotally attached a depending locking bar 70 which, at its lower end, passes through an o ening 71 formed through a portion 231 of t e frame 23. 'The' lock bar 70 isprovided near its lower end with a shoulder 72 which is adapted to normally lie above the portion231 of the frame 23, the lockbar being yieldingly urged to this position by a spring 73, the arrangement of the lock bar being such that, when 1t is in the position shown 1n Fig. 3, there can be no swinging of the head 66on its pivotal axis 67 and the gras ing jaws and 61 cannot, therefore, be ceptacles 17. Pivoted upon the frame 34 is a s ring pawl 76 adapted to engage the lower end) of lock bar 70 when the frame'34 vreturns to its normallposition.

The operation 1s as follows: With the partsl in the position shown 'in Figs. 3 and 4, a coin of the proper denominationfhas been inserted into the coin passage 40 and has passed from thence to the proper position between the frame 34 and the inner end of plunger 33. Thereupon the operator will press inward upon the particular finger button 26 which is particularcigar which he desires to purchase. This movement will push plunger 33 inward against the coin 41 and thus shift frame 34, to the right in Fig. 4, to the position indicated by dotted lines in said figure thus completing begin to. rotate the wheel 10. This movement of the frame 34 carries pawl 7 6 ast the lower'end'of the lock bar 70 and said) direction and the latch 31 dropsI behind portion 341 so as to hold the frame 34 in the new position. At the same timethe particular finger 25 carried by the operated push 'pin'26 releases the corresponding plunger 22 and permits it to be ur ed byits spring 24 into engagement with t e disk 13. The movement ofbar 30 also, throu h link. 56, swings lever 54 so asI to withdgraw the locking plunger 51 from plate 13 and the movement of frame 34 swings lever 55 so as to withdraw the locking plun er 52 from plate 13. As soon as the two p ungers 51 and 52 are withdrawn from plate 13 the motor will rotate wheel 1 0 together with all the parts carried thereby until the' proper hole 21, which-is placed to register with the operated plunger 22, comes opposite said plunger whereupon frame 34 returns to norma oweredinto any one of the reltrough 81 y52 may be omitted 1 pawl yields in this said plunger'enters said hole and stops the rotation. of the wheel. As soon as this'occurs the operator releases the pressure upon the selected push pin 26 thus permitting the coin to drol into the'coin trough 80 (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4).,"v and the 4bar 30 t0 return to normal position said bar engaging the cam ortion 3 1 of latch l30 so as to withdraw said.)

and thus permit frame 34 l to be returned by its spring 35 to normal osition. -As the vosition the pawl the lock bar 72 from engagepermits said lock 76 vengages the lower end. o and withdraws its shoulder ment with portion 231 and latch from behind said portion 341 l bar to drop down througlepening 71thus permitting the jaws 60 and -61 to drop down 1nto. the uppermost boxv1 7 As soon as pressure is released on the .operated push pin, plunger 51 is returned into engagement with disk 13 and enters one ofthe holes 50 thus holdin when t e frame 34'returns to its normal positionthe lunger 52 is also projected into the same hole l50. The operator is novwfrce to manipulate the -aws 60 and 61 bya manipulation of the tu e 62 and handle 65 so as to grasp a single ci ar.

the operator Wil project'the jawV head upward and inward until it lies'over the dlscharge trough 81, but this position cannotbe/ reached except by swinging thev head'6'6 on its pivot 67 until shoulder, 72 is brought above por-tiong231 of frame 23 vand spring 73 returnsv the lockbar 70 to its normal osition so as 'to revent a return'of the jaw eadfor another lbad. The cigar which has beenselected may be released by'a separation ofthe jaw 61'from jaw 60 and it will slide dow-n the to the exterior of the`casing; It ,is not absolutely essential. to have the double locking plunger 51-52, as the plunger it will be seen that the plunger 51 kmay be withdrawn from the plate v13 by a manipulation of -any one of push pins 26. 4This will not ermit theoperation of any,of the other mechanism, nor the selection of a cigar, neither. will it complete the, circuit of the motor and consequently there will be no rotation of the wheel unless it should'happen that it was unbalanced, in which case there will be a movement to Ia balanced position. I deem itadvisable, therefore, to provide the' additional` locking plunger 52 to prevent such action. v

I claim as my invention: 1. In a coin controlled the combination with a containing casing, and a rotatable carrier provided with a plu- A rality of receptacles, of a'motor for rotating said carrier, selecting mechanism for stopping said carrier to present any one of the receptacles in delivering position, coin-controlled mechanism, grasping means arranged with the wheel fromfurther rotation, and

As soon as this is-done- ICO desired, .but in such-case vending machine,

tacles, of a motor for driving said carrier, se-

lecting mechanism for stopping said carrier to present any one of the receptacles in delivering position, coin-controlled mechanism, grasping means arranged with the casing, means'dependent upon the coin controlled mechanism for locking said grasping means, accessible. means for manipulatin said graspin means from the exterior of t e casing, an means controlled by the coin controlling means for connecting and disconnecting the motor and for releasing said llocking means.

3. Ina coin controlled vending machine, the combination Withan inclosing casing, a

rotatable carrier mounted therein and 'provided With a plurality of containers, means for rotating sald carrier, and a coin controlled means for controlling the movement of said carrier and stopping the same at any desired position, of ejecting means comprising a member accessible at one end from the eXterior of the casing and provided at -its inner end With means for engaging an article, a su porting head for said member pivoted in tliie casing, a locking bar for said head and means controlled by the selecting means for operating said locking bar.

4. In a coin controlled vending machine, the combination with an inclosing casing, a

rotatable carriermounted therein and provided With a plurality of containers, means for rotating said carrier, and a coin-controlled means for controlling the movement of said carrier and stopping the sameat any desired osition, of a head pivoted in said casing, a ocking bar 'carried by said head and adapted to normallyrestrain pivotal movement of said head, means controlled by the selecting mechanism for releasing said locking bar, an

ejector member carried by said head and movable therein, said ejector member accessible from the exterior ofthe casing at one end and. carried at'its other end, and means for engaging an article carried by the carrier.

5. In a coinicontrolled vending machine, the combination with an inclosing casing, a rotatable carrier mounted therein and provided With a plurality of containers, means for rotating said carrier, and a coin controlled means for controlling the movement of said carrier and sto ping the same at any desired ositlon, of a ead pivoted in said casing, a ocking bar carried by said head and adapted to normally restrain pivotal movement of said head, means controlled by the selecting mechanism for releasing said locking bar, an -ejector member carried by said head and longitudinally movable therethrough, a pair of grasping j aWs carried by the inner end of said member, and means at the accessiblel outer end of said member for the manipulation of said jaw.

6. In a coin controlled vending machine,-

the combination With inclosing casing, a rotatable carrier mounted therein and provided With a plurality of containers, means for rotating' said carrier, a coin controlled means for controlling'the movement' of said carrier and stopping the same'at any desired osition, offa head pivoted in said casing, a -ibcking barcarried by said head and adaptedv to normally restrain pivotal `movement of said head, means controlled by the selecting mechanism for releasing said locki bar, and ejector member carried by said ead and transversely movable therethrough, a pair of grasping jaws carried by the inner end of said member, and means at the accessible outer end of saidmember for the manipulation ofy said jaws. l

7. In acoin controlled vending machine, the combination With an inclosing casing, of a rotatable carrier mounted therein and provided With .a plurality of containers, a motor for rotating said carrier, a' plurality of accessible members and a corresponding plurality of ,locking pinsadaptedfto engage the carrier at predetermined positions, a coin controlled member Which may be actuated by any one of the accessible members, means controlled by said member for actuating themotor, and a locking :memberV normally en aging the carrier and operable by any one the accessible members.

8. In a-coin controlled vending machine,

- the combination Withan inclosing casing, of

a rotatable carrier mounted'therein and provided With a plurality of containers, a motor for rotating said carrier, a 'plurality of ac-` cessible members and a corresponding plurality of locking pins adapted to engage the carrier at predetermined positions, a coin controlled member Which may-be actuated by any one of the `accessible members, means controlled by said member for actuating the motor, and a pairlof locking members o erable by any one of the accessible mem ers and the other of said locking members operable by the coin controlled members.

IOO

IIO

9. In a coin controlled vending machine, l

the combination with an inclosing casing, of a rotatable carrier mounted therein and pro- /vided with a plurality of containers, a motor for/rotating said carrier, a plurality of acces/sible members and a corresponding plurality of locking pins adapted to engage the carrier at predetermined positions, a coincontrolled member Which may be actuated Y member.

, against movement permitting engagement of L the combination with van inclosing casing, of

by any one of the accessible members, means controlled by said member for actuating the motor, a locking member normally engaging the carrier and Operable by any one of the acl cessible members, an ejector. member movably mounted in a pivoted head, a locking member for normally holding said head the ejector member with the articles to be vended, and means controlled bythe coin controlled member for releasing'said locking 10. In a coin controlled vending machine,

a rotatable carrier mounted .therein and provided With a plurality of containers, a motor for rotating said carrier, a plurality of accessible members and a corresponding plurality of locking pins adapted to engage the carrier at predetermined positions, av coin controlled member which may be actuated by any one of the accessible members, means my hand and sealat Indianapolis, Indiana,

this 23d day of May, hundred and six. A.

CHARLIE' C. INMAN. [L. s.] Witnesses:v .l c y THOMAS W. MOMEANs, e ARTHUR M. HOOD.

A. D. one thousand nine Y 

